A Jedi Must Love
by amphitrite17
Summary: An alternate ending to the final 9th film Rise of Skywalker. A further adventure/romance between Ben/Rey. May contain mature themes. A further story for Fin, Poe and the rest of the rebellion. "Reylo" Fanfiction. WARNING: Contains Rise of Skywalker SPOILERS.
1. Chpt 1: Bringing a Balance to the Force

An author's note: This is my first foray into fanfiction. I have only ever read Fanfic, shoutout to other beautiful stories I have read from this very site! Those have taught me everything I know about writing fanfiction. This started as a story for myself. I am a hopeless romantic and I loved the connection between Rey and Kylo/Ben. I wanted desperately to continue their story. I also wanted to bring the character of Anakin more into the story as I am still a firm believer in Geroge Lucas's vision and plan for the "Chosen One". I am sure many people will disagree or dislike my vision but hope there are others out there who will enjoy it. **WARNING: Rise of Skywalker SPOILERS ahead**. I also want to express that having read many Reylo fanfics before I have drawn on ideas from others such as "force communication" and I want to thank them and recognize them for their help in creating this one. I also I am going to put this in here because I've read a bunch of other people do it and figure it must be important...I do not own any rights to Star Wars or Lucasfilm for use of their characters or stories.

Chapter 1: Bringing a Balance to the Force

With a final a push Rey drove the crossed sabers toward Sidious expanding what little life energy remaining within her as she funneled the power from the generations of Jedi before her. The hall was engulfed in light and the emperor imploded and crumbled from within with a final hideous shriek. The terrible Sith lighting that held the alliance fighters vanished and the sky began to clear. Rey extinguished the sabers and her arms fell limply to her sides. Her eyes rolled back, her lids slid closed she swayed on the spot then crumpled to the ground. The hall fell deathly quiet. Not a rock thudded, not a thing whispered. The silence held the weight of the battle that had just ensued. Rey's shallow breathing was the only whisper and it escaped noisily through her barely parted lips.

Breath…

Breath…

….

…

BAM! "Auuughhhh!" Ben Solo's straining grunt and desperate grasp from the edge chasm echoed through the hall breaking the still. Inch by inch he raked at the ground and dug his fingers into the rubble. Groaning with effort, Ben hauled his broken form out of the chasm and dragged himself into the rubble of the hall. He rested his face against the ground, his body trembling from the effort. Second by second his grievous wounds were sapping away what remained of his life. His eyelids fluttered as he began to succumb. In a desperate push, Ben reached out with the force searching, searching for her. He felt her dimming spark a few yards ahead. _No, no Rey, Rey!_ He cried out feebly with his mind. He scrabbled at the ground in an attempt to push himself up. _I need to get to her. Come on just let me get there._He reached for the force and willed himself and with a heavy push rose to one good knee and then to his foot. His broken leg dragged usually behind as he hobbled and dragged himself forward to Rey's silent form. He collapsed to ground beside her and dragged her limp body into his arms. "REY?!. Rey?!" He shook her gently to no avail then looked to the sky in anguish. Cradling her to his chest he languished. All his so-called power and might he had so fiercely clung to for the past years were useless, meaningless, powerless. She had pulled him from his reign of darkness, seen his light when no one else had. It was she, she who deserved to live, she the savior of them all, the savior of him. He dropped his face hers, hopelessly, their foreheads touching. His wounds began to overtake him again and he let them, eager to give in. _Ben, Ben_, _Use the Force, Ben. _Luke's voice called to him. _Bring the balance_. Said another, different. _Who is this?_ Ben projected to force, _Whoever you are, help me. Help me save her._The new voice echoed. "_You know me, you are my past, present and future, it is I who started this and you who will finish it. Bring the balance. Finish the path of…_the voice began to fade…_Skywalker._A thought of realization crossed Ben's heart. _Grandfather?!_ But the presence had faded back into the force. The badly damaged Sith hall began to shake and crumble as its ancient foundation could no longer hold from the deadly force explosion that had just occurred. Pieces of the hall began crumbling. Desperate, Ben reached out with the force a final time. A sense of calm and peace entered his being and the roar of the hall was silenced, he extended his feeling ever so slightly and…there, oh so close he felt the struggling spark of Rey.

Rey gasped for air and hesitantly, slowly opened her eyes. _How am I here, how am I still alive?_ She had felt her life force dwindling but now there was a small trickle barely holding her afloat. Her vision returned and Ben's ragged face and intense piercing eyes were staring down at her. _Ben, oh Ben. _She felt his warm palm on her chest and his broad chest against her face. She weakly reached out with the force and felt the dim trickle of energy channeling from his being though his hand into her. He was the one saving her, he was the one holding on.

"Ben" Ray gasped weakly. Unable to for more words she attempted to call through the force.._Ben stop, save yourself, save your…_ His eyes cut her off silently. His mind reached out. _Rey, my family was to bring the balance, saving you is my final purpose the balance will be achieved with end of the Skywalkers. It is you who must be saved, you, who have saved me, saved us. _His eyes stared down at her, gone was the hatred and anger and cold piercing scrutiny of his gaze. His eyes echoed his feelings, intense and pure, feelings…feelings of..love..love and care. As they gazed into each other eyes they leaned ever closer, and their lips met finally. Rey was surprised at the softness and emotion of the kiss. She desperately latched on determined to hold Ben with her and to pour her outpouring emotions into every facet of this kiss. Knowing these were their last moments Ben put everything he had into the kiss till his strength gave out and he cried out internally feeling her slip from his grasps, her lips leave his. Rey felt the trickle of life force from his palm being to flicker and Ben began to lose his grip on them, it was Rey's turn to catch him. He never left her eyes, or her face, her beautiful face but it was her heart, her heart that had saved him and he wanted to be one with it till the end. He feebly reached out sending his yearning her way searching again for her spark. _Open your mind to me._ Rey whispered through the force. She reached out to the ever-present bond that had been connecting them for months. She stopped at the wall around his conscience and he tore it down frantically. The emotions and feelings they had for one another sparkled out from their consciences and danced in glittering union across their minds. They watched the beautiful spectacle and Ben's mind echoed.

_All this time, you have felt for me? You, you have… loved me?_

Rey's eyes shone with the truth of his conclusion. _Yes, Ben, I have searched desperately for the light within Kylo Ren I found it…found you Ben. Now that I have you. I will not leave you._

The roar of the crumbling hall sounded, and they were aware that pieces of the diseased structure began to fall, crashing around them.

_I am doing this to save you, Rey. My part in this story has ended. You have saved my heart. Now let me save yours. _Ben pushed harder with his life force attempting to drain what little was left into Rey. But Rey pushed back, her hand on his cheek. _Don't fight me, Rey! We cannot both survive! _But Rey kept pushing, and the two reached a stalemate, their battered bodied both weakly feeding off the dwindling life force. _Damnit, woman! If you do this Rey, we'll both die! _Rey smiled weakly, resting Ben on the ground and collapsing on his chest. _Even in death, your temper remains. Yes Ben, but sense around, we are gonna die anyway, this hall is giving out. I have found you Ben Solo and I am ready to take your hand and be by your side, even in death. It is time for the Jedi to end. We have brought the balance back to the force. Use the last of your strength and destroy this hall for good and with it the last remnants of the Sith._

_But Rey, _Ben watched the resolve form in her mind, he sighed internally _I see fighting you is futile. Fine. Have it your way._Ben reached out with the force for the last time and was surprised to find extra strength pouring in from the unknown. The presence echoed from ages beyond the same voice echoed. _Come, Ben, we will do this together._

Ben's mind echoed with recognition _Grandfather…_and Anakin's voice and force filled and swelled within him. Ben and Rey feebly gripped each other cradling each other's faces with joined minds and locked eyes. Ben collected up the rushing energy and prepared to unleash it. _Are you sure about this Rey? _He opened his palm. Rey slid her hand into his. Gripping it _I am by your side, Ben Solo._The shared life force dwindled down to its last essence. Rey huddled into Ben's chest burying her petite frame into his in a vain effort to shield them. Ben released the force he was holding and it exploded out of him in a gigantic burst fully destroying the already crumbling Sith tower. It kept expanding reaching to the heart of the twisted planet Exegul.

Up the sky, free from the clutches of the Sith lightning, Poe, Finn and the remaining fighters of the resistance were circling low in a desperate search for Rey. The explosion rocked the surface even shaking the fighters within the air. "HOLY CRAP!" Shouted Finn through the headset. "What was that?!"

"I don't know." returned Poe, "But it doesn't look good. Everyone being evacuating this atmosphere!"

"Generals! We have analyzed the explosion it has ruptured the planet's core and is spreading. This planet will soon be obliterated!"

"Where did it originate?" asked Poe

"We are unable to pinpoint a device or source but the explosion started at the base of the Sith structure. But Generals you must get out of there. NOW!"

Rey… thought Finn and Poe collectively.

"ALL FIGHTERS PULL OUT NOW!" yelled Poe looking down through his cockpit he watched the surface of dark ocean roil and the telltale colors of red and orange shining from the depths.

"What about Rey?!" yelled Finn he looked down for the Sith structure to find it completely obliterated and the space where it had been crumbing within itself. A sinking feeling hit his chest. _Rey…_

"Poe…" he said weakly into the headset.

"I know," answered the star piolet "But Finn… we have to go. Finn… FINN!" Unable to tear his eyes away from the surface Finn hovered refusing to turn. Then, wait was that? He felt a warm presence enter him and a familiar voice called out, _Finn…go._


	2. Chpt 2: A Meeting of the Minds

Chapter 2: A Meeting of the Minds

_Death is so peaceful_ thought Rey. Unaware of her body, Rey floated within her consciences. Her every thought and memory echoing and shining within in the peaceful black of, she had no words for it…death? She was no longer a person restrained to some physical form, rather an essence, swirling and floating. A passing thought burned bright and swelled only to dissipate back into her essence. Different emotions would whip though the memories like wind, reacting to the thoughts. Long did Rey linger, floating about this blackness playing with her thoughts, distracted by the beauty. Until a memory came swirling about, bouncing around. Rey lazily chose to focus it and it expanded replaying in the center of her essence, all the facets of her conscience floating around it at a lazy attention. It was a man, a man in a mask, clothed in black. Then he was removing this mask to reveal wavy dark hair, scarred face and intense eyes, eyes staring into her, staring into her soul. [_This man is evil_] thought Rey and her emotion sparks seemed to agree with her and they angrily whisked the memory away. Then another memory floated up, this time the same man was sitting against something, chest heaving, a mortal wound in his lower abdomen. But his face was changing… As if a weight was being lifted. Then his eyes looked up and again seemed to pierce into her mind. "Rey" it said, _This is…BEN_ thought Rey. All at once hundreds of memories came swirling in all bouncing for their turn to play. _BEN! The hall! The balance, the Sith, Exegul Ben..BEN! _Desperately, Rey's conscience swirled within itself looking for that special…would it still be there? Panic swept through her and she ravaged through her mind inspecting facets then throwing them aside. Not that, not there…Ah!. There it was! The trail, the bridge, the breadcrumbs. Leading her, pulling her, and she followed with a small glimmer of hope…and frantically she followed…

There was massive confusion as two swirling essences of consciousnesses collided into one another. Memories started playing everywhere. A young boy and his father giving him a leg up into the cockpit of, of some ship. Rey eating in a tent surrounded by sand. Hands touching, Children screaming, lightsabers flashing, voices echoing. Emotions were swirling everything into a storm of anger, pain, hope and love. As the storm began to vortex violently Rey found herself being torn at, stretched, hopelessly mixed and thought she was going to burst apart. But then, a ball of a sort of…Rey pondered it for a moment…energy floated within the mess. Desperate, Rey guided a thought into it. _STOP! _The energy pulsed and the swirling stopped and each little facet of the consciousnesses froze. Using the same energy Rey pulsed it, carefully collecting her facets in together, and regaining a semblance of her consciousness. [_That's better._]The other remaining facets shot back together in a powerful snap. They solidified together and made to ram with fast decisive movement into Rey's lazy floating swirl. Rey's flowed together in a kind of shield absorbing and dispersing the attack like a wave would a cannonball but it just rebounded and kept driving into her. [_Why is it attacking me!_] Attack her it did, with no sign of fatigue it began to drive at her weakest points with precise and sharp intensity. With this struggle she felt she recognized the swift attitude of the facets and fear and anger driving them. _STOP!STOP! Whoever you are I mean you no harm! _she attempted to project her thoughts onto the rival facets_. _

The other conscious let up on its attack by the tiniest amount. _Identify yourself!_ It angrily threw the thought at her. _How did you find me?!...I was alone. Blissfully, alone in this, this peaceful darkness… leave me alone to my PAIN…_An overwhelming aura of anger, self loathing and all encompassing loss was emanating from the aggressive conscious.

The force of the emotion almost overwhelmed Rey and she felt she might fall into the same state. She hurt from the turmoil. Could she even hurt? But somehow her memories ached. _I was called, Rey. No, I am Rey. I'm looking for Ben, Ben Solo. I, _Rey's consciousness pulled up a memory and attempted to project it outwardly. It was a memory of taking an outstretched hand. She got distracted by the memory. _It was such a big hand_, she thought, _at first it was offered at the end of something I could not take, but then I could take it and I did. _Another memory floated up. This time it was of Ben Solo's face and particularly the eyes, eyes that held hers as a large debris fell around them and then…a smile. She paused the recollection there. Never had he ever smiled at her before…it held the good she had felt in him. It stretched across his scarred face lifting his cheeks and smoothing the agony and rage off his forehead. _What I would give to see that smile…_The attack from the other consciousness shook Rey from her remembrance. She pulled up the trail she had found and this time carefully flowed a tendril of her conscious in it. She watched it slip around and reach right over to where the battering consciousness where pushing against one another. The angry one made to retract from it only to see that it couldn't separate. The two consciousness were connected by this little tendril. It glowed with the same energy that had helped Rey sort out the confusion. _The Force…_she realized. _Ben! _This had to be. She sent the thought through the connection. A thought came hurtling back into hers. _Rey?_ Sure of herself now Rey pushed a larger part of her consciousness through the portal gently merging more of herself. Ben and Rey slowly and carefully opened their minds. Their thoughts merged and each other's emotions and thoughts were all out in the open, no secrets to be kept. Watching their joined memories they began to remember.

Ben was the first. He surrounded his own energy of the force and organized his consciousness back into a representation of himself. Rey watched as he straightened up. His wavy black hair was halfway tied back. He wore a white shirt and blue trousers with tall back boots. It was a very familiar outfit to Rey for some unknown reason. _Rey…and so you stand by my side… in death._ He wore such a guarded expression. Emotions of fear but yet relief pulsed through their connection. ]_Why was he so guarded still when their minds were so joined together?] _Rey kept that thought carefully to herself.

_How are you doing that? _Rey floated around him still a mass of essence.

_Focus on how you want to take form. You will reflect it._

Ben watched in awe as her beautiful essence danced around him and he yearned to be near her heart once again. He guarded his emotional thoughts carefully.

Rey selected a memory and attempted to focus in on herself. Her consciousness organized itself and projected a human form. It was much easier to communicate and keep their minds straight this way.

_We did it Ben. You came back… you became Ben again. _Feelings of every kind outpoured from her.

Ben opened his mind to onslaught. Her pure honest emotions called to him warming his soul once again. [_This, _he thought to himself, _this is how you began to break my walls since our minds touched for the very first time…and you didn't even know you were doing it.] _Rey was much less adept at concealing her mind and he embraced it, reveling in the consciousness of his angel…the light that had called him out of the shadows…he pulsed about her mind carefully inspecting facets here and there but more of just sunning himself in the pure shine of her emotions.

Together their memories converged on that day they had fought it out on the wreckage, waves crashing about them, a direct representation of their battle commencing… Rey watched as she buried the hilt of Luke's saber into Kylo Ren. Ben felt the burn of blow then the gentle touch of her hand…he had been prepared to die there finally freed from the darkness that held him. But instead, his mother's voice had rung in his head and Rey's light had filled in his heart. The memories ended with his view of Rey's stricken face as she had admitted to wanting to take his hand so many times before.

_I didn't think it was possible, but you killed something in me that day on the wreckage of the Death star. You killed…_Bens thoughts recoiled of the memories and feelings associated with…Rey felt that deadly aura of loathing start to seep. _Don't say_ _it _cut off Rey, _He is gone and dead, just as Darth Vader. _

_Darth Vader…_thought Ben. _My grandfather, Anakin was with me in the end, I heard his voice _Ben stared replaying his last moments_…he, he gave me the strength I, I lacked...and to think I spent all those years attempting to chase Vader's… _

_I heard him as well…_recognized Rey. _That voice, it was with me when I blasted the Emperor,..Sidious… …Palpatine. _Rey recoiled at the thought and she made to hide her thoughts. Spoiled and expectant at her usual openness Ben was startled at her attempt of concealment and latched onto her effort. Ben brushed through her feeble attempt and felt frustration growing within him. [_How can she be ashamed of her lineage in front of ME?!...How can she try to hide from me?] _He projected into her mind. _EMBARRESSED Rey? Ashamed to be a descendent of a SITH? _He looked at her dryly. _Silly girl, oh who in this world could understand your shame?_ His expression grew darker. He hated the thought of her embarrassed and concealing things from him, everyone he had ever met had done that…well attempted to anyway. They were always so full of secrets and double meanings, even his parents and especially his teachers. It was loathsome. He collided into her thoughts. _There are no secrets you can hide from me and there are none you NEED to hide from me, I the grandson of a youngling killer, a betrayer…. _Rey's mind rung from the force of the words. Ben sensed her discomfort and pulled back his roaring conscious a little. Realizing his temper, he made an effort to calm his thinking. He felt her mind reaching after him.

Incredulous at her, he thought to himself [_How does she not turn away…Does my rage not even phase her?]_ He ruled that out in the next moment, there was clearly some wariness emanating in her mind. [_She should be afraid of me…] _He made to ponder and started to retract his thoughts further but her forgiveness and yearning was hard to resist and he converged his mind back as if he was taking her into his arms. It melted away his confusion and frustration. [_Well I might as well act it out…]_ He came up behind her hugging her in his arms and resting his chin on her shoulder. Her thoughts turned happy and content. He busied their minds watching more memories.

Ben's conscious turned to watch the finish of their force battle for the last of their life energy. He watched them weakly push at each other.

_Why wouldn't you let me save you Rey. _Ben's mind took on a sour taste and he turned away. He flipped to a memory of their last moments instead. He was jumping as usual from thought to thought to emotion faster than Rey could keep up. He whipped her around. _You kissed me. We were…_ he didn't wait any longer he pulled her towards him...and met their lips again.

Rey wasn't sure how it was happening, they were supposed to be dead after all. The blackness was all around them. But she could feel his lips and his thoughts dancing into her mind. Their tongues intertwined. The passion they had for one another was pouring over. Maybe they were living in their imaginations…one big dream. _[Oh who _CARES] she thought. Ben's too big hands were on her face, then gripping her arms. He was raw and passionate. Ben's emotions were always so intense and potent. [_He had just been shouting in my mind loud enough to deafen my very soul..._] Rey could scarcely keep herself from being swept up into them. It occurred to her she had this issue even when they were human. [_Am I just being swept up into them now?..._]

A few beautiful moments passed, or maybe hours, maybe years…who knew, she was with Ben, embraced in his mind, lost in their thoughts.

Eventually, in her ruminations, it occurred to Rey that Ben was so much taller, he had to of been straining to reach her and she to reach him, she wished they could be laying down.

Ben answered, never interrupting their lips. _You only feel you are standing on something because you mind is projecting it as so_. Ben replayed their final kiss _Let's finished what we started. _He engulfed her pulling her into his arms, mouth never leaving hers and suddenly Rey didn't feel like they were standing anymore. It was if they were floating entwined together on some invisible stream. The constant touch of their consciouses was so intimate. Rey felt every desire and emotion wafting off Ben and they hit her like waves. Their minds kept calling to one another yearning to merge even further. _We must resist_ thought Ben, he broke their kiss for just a second, staring sternly, _We could easily forget our sense of self. _

_Would that be so bad? _asked Rey. She yearned to be closer to him. Her bright ball of force energy pushed to dive and merge into his own.

Ben chuckled, _then I would forget I was me and you would forget you were you and we would eventually dissolve apart into nothingness…it seems that our separate Force energies are what are holding us together as the people we once were. _

Rey mulled over this statement for a second. _That's quite a thought. Not sure if you are right. But I suppose it could be true, Jedi were warned about joining too closely in the mind, but that was when we were alive…_

_Do you not feel ALIVE Rey?_ Ben deepened the kiss. His hands began to roam. _Days I spent thinking of you, I wanted you by my side…wanted you in my hands. _His mind played images and made a growling noise and another wave of passion rocked through Rey's mind. _Watch my dreams with me Rey. _They twined together again interlocking their minds and feeding each other's passion through their connection. It was intoxicating.

_If this is death,_ thought Rey, _I now pity the living. _

_But its not. _ Echoed a new voice.


End file.
